Australia has no plans to deploy naval vessels to protect oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a senior government minister confirmed on Monday.
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King, a member of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Cabinet, said that the country is well-prepared to handle the “economic crisis” caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict and will not be sending warships to the region, according to ABC Radio.
King also noted that as of Monday, Australia’s fuel reserves include 37 days of petrol, 30 days of diesel, and 29 days of jet fuel, following temporary reductions in minimum stockholding requirements and relaxed fuel quality standards to permit higher sulfur content.
“We’re well-prepared here in this country to weather the economic crisis that is occurring as a result of the Middle East,” she said.
The federal government on Saturday issued a warning to citizens not to transit through Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had previously issued travel warnings for all of those countries through its Smartraveller service, but said on Saturday that Australian citizens should also avoid transiting through them, even if they do not plan to leave the airport.
It said that the conflict is likely to escalate further and flights could change or stop suddenly, Xinhua news agency reported.
So far, the president’s appeals have not secured any commitments. Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, said in parliament that the country has no current plans to send naval vessels to escort ships in the Middle East and noted that the United States has not formally requested assistance.
Extended disruptions to tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could jeopardize Japan’s energy security, as the world’s fifth-largest economy imports 90% of its oil from the Middle East, with 70% transported via this waterway. Takaichi is expected to address the conflict during her upcoming meeting with Donald Trump in Washington.
On Monday, Japan began tapping its oil reserves to ease supply concerns, the first such action since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Initially, 15 days’ worth of privately held reserves will be released, followed by one month’s supply from state-owned reserves, according to Kyodo News.
Deploying Japan’s self-defense forces abroad remains politically sensitive given the country’s officially pacifist stance.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with US President Donald Trump to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the disruption to global shipping caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
During the conversation on Sunday evening, Starmer stressed the importance of reopening the strategic waterway to help restore normal shipping routes and ease rising global costs, a statement from 10 Downing Street said.
Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact regarding developments in the region.
British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said earlier on Sunday that ending the ongoing conflict is the “best and most conclusive way” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, warning that the situation is harming the global economy.
“The spike in oil and gas prices that we’re seeing is caused by the closure of the Strait,” Miliband told British media, adding that Britain wants to work with allies to seek to get the Strait reopened.
Trump said Saturday on social media that “many countries” would send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, without offering any details.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders, and more than 1,300 civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and US bases and assets across the Middle East.
With the inputs from IANS…
